Suction cleaner fan stage converter



Feb. 12, 1957 Filed July 6, 1953 D. c. GERBER SUCTION CLEANER FAN STAGE CONVERTER -INVENTOR.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fe. 12, 1957 D. c. GERBER SUCTION CLEANER FAN STAGE CONVERTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 6, 1255s INVENTOR.

Feb. 12, 1957 D. c. GERBER SUCTION CLEANER FAN STAGE CONVERTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 6, 1953 Fig.4

INVENTOR.

2,780,827 SUCTION CLEANER FAN STAGE CONVERTER Dale C. Gerber, North (;anton, Ohio, assignor to The Hfoover Company, North Canton, Qhio, a corporation Ohio Application July 6, 1953, Serial No. 366,221

3 Claims. Cl. 15-337) The present invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to a converter for increasing the suction when the cleaner is altered to employ nozzles which clean with air alone.

An object of the invention is to provide a converter having a fan adapted to be driven by the suction cleaner motor upon attachment of this converter .to {the cleaner. Another object to provide a cenverter having a fan operable in series with a suction cleaner fan to provide a two stage fan system to increase the suction in the surface cleaning nozzle. A further object is to provide a coupling for detachably connecting a converter fan to the suction cleaner motor upon removable attachment of the converter to the cleaner. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a fan stage converter attached to a cleaner;

Figure 2 is a side view of the fan stage converter removed from the cleaner;

Figure 3 is a rear view of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the hose end attachable to the converter; and

Figure 5 is a section along line 5-5 on Figure 1.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed comprises a cleaner body having a surface cleaning nozzle 11 connected by an air passageway 12 to the inlet 13 of a fan chamber 14 in a housing 15 provided with an exhaust outlet 16 on which a filter bag 17 is supported. Mounted in the body 10 rearwardly of the housing 15 is an electric motor 18 having its armature shaft supporting a fan 19 in the chamber 14, and the shaft projects through the inlet 13 into the air passageway 12 and supports a pulley 20. Rotatably mounted in the nozzle 11 is an agitator 21 driven by a belt 22 removably connected to the pulley 20. In the front wall 23 of the body 10 is a converter receiving port 24 arranged oppcsite the fan chamber inlet 13, and the port 24 is closed by an unshown cover when the belt 22 is attached to the pulley to operate the agitator 21. Front and rear wheels 26 and 27 support the body 10 on the surface 28, and a propelling handle 29 is pivotally mounted on the body at 3 Suitable means 31 is provided for maintaining the handle 29 in different adjusted positions.

The fan stage converter 35 comprises a fan housing 36 defining a fan chamber 37 having a rear wall 38 and a front wall 39, the latter provided with a port 40 for entrance of dirt laden air. In the rear wall 38 is an outlet 41 from the fan chamber 37, and the rear wall also has a hub 42 provided with a bearing 43 in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 44 extending into the chamber 37 and on which a fan 45 is rigidly supported by a nut 46. Formed on the rear wall 38 is a conduit 47 extending from the fan chamber outlet 41 and encircling the hub 42 and terminates in a flanged port 48 which is adapted to fit in the fan chamber inlet 13. The shaft 44 projects from the hub 42 into the conduit 47 and is T ee provided at its end with an annular groove 49 .to which is cemented one end of a tubular flexible coupling 50. The outer .end 51 of the coupling terminates short of the flanged port 48 and is formed to receive ridges 52 and 53 on the pulley 20 to provide a drive fit for the shaft 44. Formed in the shaft 44 is a longitudinally extending hole 55 which communicates at its outer end with the interior of the flexible coupling at 56, and its inner end is connected with a transverse hole 57 having an outlet to the interior of the conduit 47. The purpose of the holes 55 and 57 is to :relieve the suction within the flexible coupling 50 when the latter is connected to the pulley 20 for easy removal of the tube 50 from the pulley 20.

In order to removably attach the converter '35 to the fan chamber inlet 13, a lever 59 is pivoted at 60 to the conduit 47 and is provided with a cam surface 61 which ;engages the edge 62 of the converter port 24 to secure the converter in position. A torsion spring 63 biases the cam 61 into its locked position. One end 6.4 of the lever 59 projects beyond the cleaner front Wall 23 to receive the operators hand to move the cam 61 out of locking engagement with the cleaner front wall 23. A lug .65 is formed on the conduit .47 for insertion in ,a recess .66 in the cleaner front wall 23 to guide the flanged outlet 48 into the fan chamber inlet 13. A pair of resilient pads 67 are secured [to .theErear wall 38 to engage the body front wall 23 and aid in positioning the converter 35 on the cleaner body.

A flexible hose 70 is provided at one end 71 with a flanged opening 72 for insertion into the fan chamber inlet 40. At the opposite end of the hose is a rigid wand 73 having a suitable surface cleaning nozzle 74. A bracket 75 is riveted to the converter housing front wall 39 above the inlet 40 and has a marginal slot 76 to receive a rib 77 on the hose end 71 to guide the flanged opening 72 to the inlet 40. A cam surface 78 is also formed on the hose end 71 for locking engagement with the bracket 75 upon rotating the hose to the right as shown in Figure 5.

In operation, when it is desired to clean the surface with the agitator 21 and the relatively large nozzle 11 by propelling the cleaner over the surface 28, the belt 22 is connected to the pulley 2i and the port 24 is closed. The motor 18 is energized to rotate the agitator 21 and the fan 19, whereby the agitator loosens the dirt in the surface 23 and the suction created by the fan 19 draws dirt laden air through the nozzle 11, air passageway 12 and inlet 13 into the fan chamber 14 from which it is discharged through the exhaust outlet 16 into the filter bag 17 which removes the dirt from the air stream.

When it is desired to clean surfaces with the cleaning nozzle 74, the cover for the port 24 is removed and the belt 22 disconnected from the pulley 20. The converter 35 is then attached by inserting the rib in the recess 66 to guide the tube 47 through the port 24 and air passageway 12 and seat-the flanged opening 48 in the fan chamber inlet 13 as shewn in Figure 1, whereby the conduit 47 interrupts communication between the nozzle 11 and the fan chamber 14. The converter 35 is locked in position by the spring 63 urging the lever 59 into engagement with the body front wall portion 62, and the resilient pads 67 support the converter on the body front wall 23. While the converter tube 47 is being inserted through the port 24, the end 51 of the coupling an is telescoped about the ridges 52 and 53 of the pulley 2b to form a drive fit between the latter and the converter fan shaft 44. The flanged opening 72 of the flexible hose is seate in the converter fan chamber inlet 40 and locked in position as previously described.

Upon energizing the cleaner motor 18, the fan 19 is in a limiting sense.

3 rotated and the converter fan 45 is also rotated through the flexible coupling 50 to thereby operate the fans in series as a two staged fan system, and thus increase the suction produced in comparison to that provided by the cleaner fan 19. The two stage fan system 45 and 19 provides greater suction in the nozzle 74 than in the nozzle 11 'when the agitator 21 is employed. Due to the increased suction, the width of the nozzle 74 is less than in nozzle 11 to reduce resistance to movement of the nozzle 74 over the surface being cleaned. When the nozzle 74 is moved over the surface to be cleaned, the high suction air stream removes the dirt from the surface and the dirt laden air passes through the hose 70 into the converter fan chamber 37 from which it is discharged through the opening 41 into the conduit 47 and passes into the cleaner fan chamber 14 and is expelled through the exhaust outlet 16 into the filter bag 17.

In order to remove the converter 35, the end 64 of the latch lever 59 is moved upwardly as viewed in Figure 1 to clear the port 24 and permit the lug 65 to be removed from the recess 66. The holes 55 and 57 in the converter shaft 44 relieve the suction within the space 56 in the coupling 50 whereby the end 51 of the coupling is easily removed. from the pulley 20.

While I have shown and described but one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but to include all equivalent variations except as limited by the scope of the claims,

I claim:

1. A fan stage converter for removable connection to a suction cleaner of the type having a surface cleaning nozzle communicating with the inlet of a fan chamber, and power means rotating a fan in the chamber to create suction in the inlet and nozzle, comprising a body having a fan chamber provided with an inlet and outlet, a fan in said converter fan chamber, shaft means in said body rotatably mounting said converter fan, means adapted to removably connect said shaft means to the power means to rotate said converter fan with the cleaner fan, and means in said body defining a conduit from said converter fan chamber outlet and connectable with the cleaner fan chamber inlet for passage of air thereto, said conduit when attached cutting off the cleaner fan chamber inlet to the cleaner nozzle.

2. A fan stage converter as described in claim 1, and means on said body for connecting a cleaning tool hose to said converter inlet.

3. A fan stage converter as described in claim 1, and said conduit arranged with respect to said shaft means to enclose the connection between said shaft means and the cleaner power means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

